Work-holding chuck with quick-release jaws

ABSTRACT

A system, in certain embodiments, includes a wedge-lock coupling configured to connect a jaw to an actuator arm of a chuck. The wedge-lock coupling includes a wedge portion having a path of travel between a release position and a lock position, and a locking direction along the path of travel gradually wedges the wedge portion between the actuator arm and the jaw.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/434,762, entitled “Quick-Release Jaws with Single-PieceBearing Chuck”, filed May 4, 2009, which is herein incorporated byreference in its entirety, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/711,910, entitled “Quick-Release Jawswith Single-Piece Bearing Chuck”, filed Feb. 27, 2007, and issued asU.S. Pat. No. 7,594,665, on Sep. 29, 2009, which is herein incorporatedby reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates generally to a work-holding chuck withquick-release jaws.

An adjustable chuck of the type in widespread use for grippingworkpieces of different sizes typically includes a plurality of jawsthat are radially movable to grip and release a workpiece. The jaws aretypically configured for retaining a specific workpiece. Thus, the jawsare changed to grip different workpieces. Unfortunately, the process ofchanging the jaws is time consuming. Therefore, reducing jawreconfiguration time may improve operational efficiency of the machiningapparatus to which the chuck is attached.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

A system, in certain embodiments, includes a wedge-lock couplingconfigured to connect a jaw to an actuator arm of a chuck. Thewedge-lock coupling includes a wedge portion having a path of travelbetween a release position and a lock position, and a locking directionalong the path of travel gradually wedges the wedge portion between theactuator arm and the jaw.

DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood when the following detaileddescription is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in whichlike characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an embodiment of a system having asingle-piece bearing chuck with quick-release jaws;

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of an embodiment of the chuck as shown inFIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the chuck of FIG. 1B;

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of an embodiment of the chuck of FIG.1B showing the jaws uncoupled from the actuator arms;

FIGS. 4A and B are cross-sectional views along line 4-4 of FIG. 2showing an embodiment of the jaws in a retaining and releasing position,respectively;

FIG. 5 is an exploded assembly view of an embodiment of a first actuatorarm assembly utilizing a single-piece bearing and a first quick-releasemechanism;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the single-piecebearing of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of an embodiment of the single-piecebearing of FIG. 6;

FIGS. 8A and B are enlarged fragmented cross-sectional views of anembodiment of the first actuator arm assembly along line 8-8 of FIG. 2with the quick-release mechanism in a released and engaged position,respectively;

FIG. 9 is a fragmented exploded view of an embodiment of a secondactuator arm assembly utilizing a second quick-release mechanism;

FIGS. 10A and B are fragmented cross-sectional views of an embodiment ofthe assembled second actuator arm assembly along line 10-10 of FIG. 9with the second quick-release mechanism in a released and engagedposition, respectively;

FIG. 11 is a fragmented exploded view of an embodiment of a thirdactuator arm assembly utilizing a third quick-release mechanism;

FIGS. 12A and B are cross-sectional views of an embodiment of theassembled third actuator assembly along line 12-12 of FIG. 11 with thequick-release mechanism in a released and engaged position,respectively;

FIG. 13 is a fragmented cross-sectional view of an embodiment of afourth actuator arm assembly showing the use of a single retaining boltto secure a jaw thereto;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a fifth actuator armassembly utilizing a fifth quick-release mechanism having aspring-loaded lock pin;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the fifthquick-release mechanism of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the assembly ofFIG. 14 with the spring-loaded lock pin in a locked position;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the assembly ofFIG. 14 with the spring-loaded lock pin in an unlocked position;

FIG. 18 is an exploded cross-sectional view of an embodiment of theassembly of FIG. 14 with the jaw removed from the actuator arm;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the actuator arm ofFIG. 14;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a chuck having a sixthactuator arm assembly utilizing a sixth quick-release mechanism with awedge-lock coupling;

FIG. 21 is a partial perspective view of an embodiment of the chuck ofFIG. 20, illustrating the wedge-lock coupling exploded from a jaw, andillustrating the jaw exploded from an actuator arm;

FIG. 22 is a partial perspective view of an embodiment of the chuck ofFIG. 20, illustrating the wedge-lock coupling installed in a jaw, andillustrating the jaw exploded from an actuator arm;

FIG. 23 is a partial perspective view of an embodiment of the chuck ofFIG. 20, illustrating a jaw coupled to an actuator arm via thewedge-lock coupling;

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the chuck of FIG.20, illustrating the wedge-lock coupling disposed between a jaw and anactuator arm;

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the chuck of FIG.20, illustrating three sets of jaws, actuator arms, and wedge-lockcouplings in different states;

FIG. 26 is a partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a chuckhaving a seventh actuator arm assembly utilizing a seventh quick-releasemechanism with a wedge-lock coupling;

FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the chuck of FIG.26, illustrating the wedge-lock coupling disposed between a jaw and anactuator arm;

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the chuck of FIG.26, illustrating three sets of jaws, actuator arms, and wedge-lockcouplings in different states; and

FIG. 29 is a partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of awedge-lock coupling, illustrating teeth having an offset to bias a jawinwardly toward an actuator arm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will bedescribed below. In an effort to provide a concise description of theseembodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not bedescribed in the specification. It should be appreciated that in thedevelopment of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering ordesign project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be madeto achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance withsystem-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from oneimplementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that sucha development effort might be complex and time consuming, but wouldnevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, andmanufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of thisdisclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments of the presentinvention, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended tomean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,”“including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean thatthere may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

Certain disclosed embodiments of the single-piece bearing chuck mayreduce jaw reconfiguration time by employing a quick-release mechanism.The quick-release mechanism may enable an operator to rapidly remove oneset of jaws and attach a second set of jaws. In one embodiment, thisquick-release mechanism includes a wedge-lock coupling, which graduallyfits a wedge portion between a jaw and an actuator arm. For example, thewedge portion may include a tapered locking surface with teeth, whichengage a flat surface with teeth on the actuator arm. The wedge fit andteeth provide a rigid connection, which can be quickly installed andreleased to swap jaws, reverse orientations of the jaw, and so forth.Other embodiments, presented below, may also facilitate rapid jawreconfiguration.

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an embodiment of a system 1 utilizing achuck 20 with quick-release jaws and a single-piece bearing to secure aworkpiece 3. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, the system 1 includes a userinput 5, a control 6, a rotary drive 7 (e.g., an electric motor), alubricant supply 8, a lubricant pump 9, a cutting tool 10, a fluidsupply 11, and a jaw actuator 12 (e.g., a fluid pump). In certainembodiments, the chuck 20 includes a plurality of jaws 48 (e.g.,quick-release jaws) configured to expand and contract as indicated byarrows 14, thereby opening and closing onto the workpiece 3. The rotarydrive 7 couples to the chuck 20 via a shaft 15 or another suitableconnection to enable rotation as indicated by arrow 16. Thus, the rotarydrive 7 provides torque to rotate the chuck 20, thereby rotating theworkpiece 3 held by the plurality of jaws 48.

The illustrated control 6 is configured to control the rotary drive 7,the lubricant pump 9, the cutting tool 10, and the jaw actuator 12 viapre-set controls and/or the user input 5. For example, the control 6 maycontrol the cutting tool 10 to move lengthwise along an axis 17 asindicted by arrow 18, radially inward and outward relative to the axis17 as indicated by arrow 19, or a combination thereof. The cutting tool10 may include a variety of blades, such as a lathe cutting tool. Inaddition, the control 6 may control the lubricant pump 9 to providelubricant from the lubricant supply 8 to the cutting tool 10, theworkpiece 3, or a combination thereof. The control 6 also may controlthe jaw actuator 12 to expand and contract the plurality of jaws 48 asindicated by arrows 14. In one embodiment, the jaw actuator 12 is afluid pump, such as a hydraulic pump, which provides fluid from thefluid supply 11 to a fluid driven mechanism within the chuck 4 toactuate the opening and closing of the jaws 48. However, any suitableactuation mechanism may be used for opening and closing the jaws 48.

Referring to FIG. 1B-FIG. 4, a workholding chuck assembly 20 accordingto the disclosed embodiments is shown. The chuck 20 includes a housingsubassembly 22 that includes a main body 24 and an end plate 26 attachedin a sealing arrangement to a rear portion of the main body 24. A cavity28 is formed between the main body 24 and the end plate 26. An actuatorplate 30 is disposed in the cavity 28 and can move axially within thecavity 28 to allow the chuck 20 to retain and release workpieces asdescribed below.

The actuator plate 30 includes a front hub 32 that resides within acentral bore 34 in a front face 36 of the main body 24. A cover plate 38is disposed over the central bore 34 in the front face 36 to blockdebris and other contamination from entering into the cavity 28 and thehousing subassembly 22. The end plate 26 includes a central bore 40 thatis configured to receive a rear hub 42 of the actuator plate 30. In thismanner, the actuator plate 30 is supported for axial movement within thecavity 28 of the housing subassembly 22.

The end plate 26 and the main body 24 can include a plurality ofopenings 44, 45 that can be used to attach the housing subassembly 22 toan adaptor plate, which provides a proper bolt pattern for securing thechuck 20 to an appropriate lathe or other machining apparatus.

A plurality of actuator arms 46 is arranged within the housingsubassembly 22 and can have a jaw 48 attached thereto. The actuator arms46 can pivot about an axis within the housing subassembly 22 to causethe jaws 48 to move radially to retain and release a workpiece asdescribed below. The actuator arms 46 are post-style arms that have agenerally cylindrical front portion 50, a generally cylindrical rearportion 52, and a semi-spherical middle portion 54. The front and rearportions 50, 52 are axially offset from one another (not axiallyaligned), as shown in FIG. 4. The rear portion 52 is disposed within arear bearing 56 having a generally semi-spherical exterior. The rearbearing 56 is disposed within an opening 58 in the actuator plate 30.The opening 58 has a concave inner periphery that is generallycomplementary to the generally semi-spherical exterior of the rearbearing 56. A key 60 blocks relative rotation between the rear portion52 and the rear bearing 56. The middle portion 54 of the actuator arm 46is disposed in a front bearing 66. The rear bearing 56 and thesemi-spherical middle portion 54 of the actuator arm 46 are on a samefront-rear center line. An end cap 70 and a spring 72 are disposed in acentral bore 74 in the rear portion 52 of the actuator arm 46. Thespring 72 biases the end cap 70 rearwardly and rides along the frontsurface of the end plate 26. The end cap 70 and the spring 72 therebybias the actuator arm 46 forwardly and against the front bearing 66. Theinterior bore of the rear bearing 56 is offset and angled such thataxial movement of the actuator plate 30 and the rear bearing 56 causesthe actuator arm 46 to pivot within the front bearing 66 through anangle α relative to a front-rear center line of the front bearing 66, asshown in FIG. 4B. This pivoting motion of the actuator arms 46 moves thejaws 48 radially between a retaining position, as shown in FIG. 4A, anda releasing position, as shown in FIG. 4B, to grasp and release aworkpiece, respectively.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-8, the actuator arm 46 is maintained within thechuck 20 by a front bearing assembly 80, which is secured to a steppedaxial bore 82 in the front face 36 of the main body 24. The frontbearing assembly 80 includes the front bearing 66, a seal ring assembly84, and a plurality of retaining fasteners 86.

The front bearing 66 is a unitary non-split bearing that retains theactuator arm 46 within the housing subassembly 22. The front bearing 66includes a generally circular front flange portion 94 and a generallycylindrical rear portion 96 extending rearwardly from the flange portion94. The front bearing 66 is disposed within a stepped bore 82 in thefront face 36 of the main body 24. The flange portion 94 includes aplurality of openings 100 that can receive fasteners 86 to secure thefront bearing 66 to the housing subassembly 22. The front bearing 66includes a central through opening 101 within which the actuator arm 46is disposed. The central opening 101 includes an annular channel 102 inthe flange portion 94 within which the seal ring assembly 84 isdisposed. The seal ring assembly 84 includes a generally U-shapedannular member 104 with an annular spring 106 disposed therein. Theannular spring 106 helps maintain contact between the annular member 104and the exterior surface of the actuator arm 46 so as to retain greasewithin the front bearing 66.

The central opening 101 in the rear portion 96 of the front bearing 66includes a front annular section 110 having a first radius and a rearannular section 112 rearward of the front annular section 110 having asecond radius. The first and second radii can be the same. The first andsecond radii centers can be different. The rear portion 96 includes twoaxially extending pockets 116 that are spaced 180° apart. The pockets116 are extended radially into front and rear sections 110, 112 to allowthe semi-spherical middle portion 54 of the actuator arm 46 to bedisposed therein, as described below.

Each pocket 116 includes a radial recess 118 that extends axially alongthe pocket 116. The recesses 118 work in conjunction with a homingmechanism 120 to allow limited rotational movement between the actuatorarm 46 and the front bearing 66, as described below.

The rear portion 96 includes a removable wall portion 122 that formspart of one of the pockets 116 and includes the associated recess 118.The removable wall portion 122, as best seen in FIG. 7, includes convexsidewalls 124 that engage with complementary concave sidewalls 126 inthe rear portion 96. Engagement between the convex sidewalls 124 and theconcave sidewalls 126 radially secures the removable wall portion 122within the rear portion 96. As a result of this engagement, theremovable wall portion 122 is removed by axial movement relative to therear portion 96. A set screw 128 (shown in FIG. 5) axially retains theremovable wall portion 122 within the rear portion 96.

The semi-spherical middle portion 54 of the actuator arm 46 has a pairof opposing flats 132 that are spaced 180° apart with spherical surfaces134 therebetween. The flats 132 allow the actuator arm 46 and the middleportion 54 to be inserted into the front bearing 66. Specifically, toinsert the actuator arm 46 into the front bearing 66, the flats 132 arealigned 90° out of phase with the pockets 116 in the front bearing 66.With this alignment, spherical surfaces 134 are aligned with the pockets116. This alignment allows the middle portion 54 to axially slide intothe opening 101 and into the rear portion 96. Once the middle portion 54is within the rear portion 96 and engaged with the seal ring assembly84, the actuator arm 46 and/or the front bearing 66 can be rotated 90°relative to one another so that the flats 132 are now aligned with thepockets 116. With this alignment, the spherical surfaces 134 engage withthe front and rear sections 110, 112 of the rear portion 96 between thepockets 116. Engagement of the spherical surface 134 with the front andrear sections 110, 112 enable the actuator arm 46 to pivot within thefront bearing 66 to allow radial movement of the jaws 48 to grip andrelease a workpiece, as described below.

The middle portion 54 includes a radially extending through an opening136 that receives the homing mechanism 120. The homing mechanism 120allows limited relative rotation between the actuator arm 46 and thefront bearing 66. The homing mechanism 120 includes a pair of engagingmembers 140 having tapered tips 142, a spring 144, and a rod 146. Asbest seen in FIG. 8, the engaging members 140, the spring 144, and therod 146 are disposed in the opening 136 in the middle portion 54 of theactuator arm 46. The spring 144 biases the engaging members 140 radiallyoutwardly so that the tips 142 engage with the recesses 118 in the rearportion 96 of the front bearing 66. The rod 146 limits relative radialmovement of the engaging members 140 toward one another. The engagementof the tips 142 with the recesses 118 allows limited relative rotationbetween the actuator arm 46 and the front bearing 66 while biasing theactuator arm 46 toward an aligned home position within the front bearing66. This limited relative rotation facilitates the engagement of the jaw48 with a workpiece. Specifically, when clamping a workpiece in thechuck 20, the engagement of the jaws 48 with the workpiece may involvesome slight twisting of the jaws 48 relative to the workpiece to get afirm grip. This limited relative rotation is facilitated by the homingmechanism 120 associated with each actuator arm 46.

The removable wall portion 122 enables the homing mechanism 120 to beassembled in the opening 136. Specifically, when the actuator arm 46 isdisposed in the front bearing 66, as described above, a first one of theengaging members 140 is inserted through the opening 136. The spring 144and the rod 146 are then inserted into the opening 136. The otherengaging member 140 can then be inserted into the opening 136 andforcibly pushed toward the other engaging member 140 and held in placeagainst the force of the spring 144. The removable wall portion 122 canthen be axially inserted into the rear portion 96 and the engagement ofconcave and convex sidewalls 126, 124 blocks the home mechanism 120 fromcoming out of the opening 136. The set screw 128 is then used to axiallysecure the removable wall portion 122 to the rear portion 96.

The jaws 48 are attached to the front portions 50 of the actuator arms46. As shown in FIG. 5, the front portion 50 of the actuator arm 46 caninclude a pair of axially extending tangs 150. The tangs 150 can beoffset (eccentric) relative to an axially extending center line of thefront portion 50. The tangs 150 can engage with complementary offsetrecesses 152 in an interior stepped through a bore 154 of the jaw 48.The jaw 48 includes a vent opening 156 to facilitate thepositioning/removing the jaw 48 on/from the actuator arm 46. Engagementof the tangs 150 with complementary offset the recesses 152 in the jaw48 blocks relative rotational movement between the jaw 48 and theactuator arm 46.

According to the disclosed embodiments, the jaws 48 can be removablysecured to the front portions 50 of the actuator arms 46 with aquick-release mechanism. A first quick-release mechanism 160, as bestseen in FIGS. 5 and 8, uses a central bore 162 in the front portion 50of the actuator arm 46 to secure the jaw 48 thereto. The central bore162 includes a radially extending annular channel 164 to facilitate theretaining of the jaw 48 to the actuator arm 46. The quick-releasemechanism 160 also includes an axially extending retaining member 166having a head 168 and a stem 170. A central bore 172 extends axiallythrough the retaining member 166. The central bore 172 includes a firstportion 174 adjacent the head 168 that has a first diameter and a secondportion 176 adjacent the end of a stem 170 having a second diameterlarger than the first diameter. The first portion 174 is threaded. Athreaded fastener 178 is disposed in the central bore 172 and engageswith the threads in the first portion 174. The quick-release mechanism160 also includes a first set of retaining balls 180 having a firstdiameter and a single actuating ball 182 larger than the retaining balls180. Three radially extending openings 184 extend through the stem 170adjacent its end. The openings 184 can be equally spaced about theperiphery of the stem 170.

The actuating ball 182 and the retaining balls 180 are disposed in thesecond portion 176 of the central bore 172 with the retaining balls 180aligned with the openings 184. The actuating ball 182 is disposedbetween the retaining balls 180 and an end 186 of the fastener 178.Retaining rings 188 (FIG. 8 only) can be disposed in the openings 184 toinhibit the retaining balls 180 from being pushed entirely through theopenings 184. Non-removing axial movement of the fastener 178 relativeto the retaining member 166 allows the quick-release mechanism 160 tosecure the jaw 48 to the actuator arm 46, as shown in FIG. 8B, andallows the jaw 48 to be removed from the actuator arm 46, as shown inFIG. 8A. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the fastener 178 isrotated in the appropriate direction a few rotations relative to theretaining member 166, the end 186 pushes the actuating ball 182rearwardly into the retaining balls 180. This movement causes theretaining balls 180 to move radially outwardly into the openings 184 andprotrude beyond the outer periphery of the stem 170 and into the annularchannel 164. In this position, the retaining member 166 is secured tothe actuator arm 46 and thereby retains the jaw 48 on the actuator arm46.

When it is desired to remove the jaw 48 from the actuator arm 46, thefastener 178 is rotated the opposite direction relative to the retainingmember 166. With a few rotations of the fastener 178, the end 186 nolonger presses the actuating ball 182 against the retaining balls 180.The jaw 48 can then be pulled away from the actuator arm 46. The slopingnature of the annular channel 164 causes a radially inward force to beexerted on the retaining balls 180, thereby pushing the retaining balls180 into the stem 170. The movement of the retaining balls 180 back intothe stem 170 allows the jaw 48 to be removed from the front portion 50of the actuator arm 46.

Thus, the quick-release mechanism 160 enables the jaws 48 to be quicklyand easily attached to and removed from the actuator arms 46. Thefastener 178 is not removed from the retaining member 166 during theoperation of the quick-release mechanism 160. Rather, a few simple turnsof the fastener 178 allows sufficient clearance between the end 186 andthe actuating ball 182 to allow the retaining member 166 to disengagefrom the actuator arm 46. Conversely, a few simple turns of the fastener178 in an opposite direction cause enough movement in the actuating ball182 to push the retaining balls 180 into the annular channel 164 andsecure the retaining member 166 to the actuator arm 46. Thequick-release mechanism 160 thereby provides an easy and efficient wayto change the jaws 48 so that the chuck 20 can be configured to receivedifferent workpieces.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, a second quick-release mechanism 200that can be used to secure the jaw 201 to an actuator arm 202 is shown.The middle and rear portions of the actuator arm 202 are substantiallythe same as that discussed above with reference to the actuator arm 46.As such, the middle and rear portions are not shown nor discussed. Afront portion 204 of the actuator arm 202, however, is different. Thefront portion 204 includes a central bore 206 that extends axially intothe actuator arm 202. A first portion 208 of the central bore 206adjacent the end is a radially elongated slot. A second portion 210 ofthe central bore 206 rearward of the first portion 208 is generallycylindrical. A third portion 212 is rearward of the second portion 210and is also cylindrical but has a diameter that is smaller than thesecond portion 210. A radially extending an annular channel 214 isdisposed in the second portion 210 of the central bore 206. Threestepped through openings 216 extend through the annular channel 214 tothe outer periphery of the front portion 204. The openings 216 can beequally spaced about the periphery of the front portion 204. Anotherthrough opening 218 extends through the front portion 204 and into thesecond portion 210 of the central bore 206 rearwardly of the openings216.

The quick-release mechanism 200 includes a spring 220 that is disposedin the third portion 212 of the central bore 206. A retaining member 222is disposed in each opening 216 of the central bore 206. The retainingmembers 222 each include a rounded inner head 224 and a stem 226extending therefrom having a rounded end 228. The stepped openings 216engage with the shoulder of the inner head 224 to block the retainingmembers 222 from passing entirely through the openings 216. A cammingmember 230 is disposed in the opening 218. The camming member 230includes a head 232 and a pin 234 extending therefrom. The pin 234 iseccentrically attached to the head 232 (i.e., the pin 234 is offset fromthe rotational axis of the head 232). The head 232 includes a toolrecess 236 that is configured to receive a tool therein to rotate thecamming member 230 within the opening 218. A snap ring 238 retains thecamming member 230 in the opening 218 and allows the camming member 230to non-removably rotate within the opening 218.

An actuating member 240 includes a head 242 and a stem 244 extendingtherefrom. The head 242 is complementary to a slotted first portion 208of the central bore 206. The stem 244 includes an end portion 246 thatis generally cylindrical with a diameter slightly smaller than thediameter of the second portion 210 of the central bore 206. A neckportion 248 of the stem 244 is disposed between the end portion 246 andthe head 242. The neck portion 248 has a diameter that changes betweenthe end portion 246 and the head 242 with a smallest diameter at ageneral midpoint location of the neck portion 248. The end portion 246includes a slot 250 on a periphery thereof. The slot 250 receives theeccentric pin 234 of the camming member 230. Rotation of the cammingmember 230 pushes on the slot 250, which, in turn, moves the actuatingmember 240 axially within the central bore 206.

The jaw 201 has an axially extending stepped bore 254 that is configuredto receive the front portion 204 of the actuator arm 202. A firstportion 256 of the bore 254 is circular and is complementary to theexterior of the front portion 204 of the actuator arm 202. A secondportion 258 of the bore 254 is slotted and is complementary to theslotted head 242 of the actuating member 240. The first portion 256 ofthe bore 254 includes a radially extending annular channel 260 that isconfigured to receive the ends 228 of the retaining members 222.

The quick-release mechanism 200 allows the jaw 201 to be easily andquickly secured to and removed from the actuator arm 202. Non-removingrotation of the camming member 230 moves the actuating member 240axially between a release position, as shown in FIG. 10A, and aretaining position, as shown in FIG. 10B. The spring 220 biases theactuating member 240 toward the retaining position. When thequick-release mechanism 200 is in the engaged position, as shown in FIG.10B, the jaw 201 is secured to the actuator arm 202 through theinteraction of the retaining members 222 and the annular channel 260.Specifically, the spring 220 biases the actuating member 240 forwardlytoward the jaw 201. As a result, the inner heads 224 of the retainingmembers 222 engage the end portion 246 of the actuating member 240. Thisengagement pushes the retaining members 222 radially outwardly such thatthe ends 228 engage with the annular channel 260. This engagement blocksthe jaw 201 from being moved axially relative to the actuator arm 202.Additionally, with the actuating member 240 in the engaged position, thehead 242 is disposed in the slotted second portion 258 of the steppedbore 254 and the jaw 201. The engagement of the head 242 with theslotted second portion 258 blocks relative rotation between the jaw 201and the actuator arm 202. Thus, when in the engaged position, the jaw201 is secured to the actuator arm 202 and the actuator arm 202 can bepivoted to allow the jaws 201 to retain and release a workpiece.

When it is desired to remove the jaw 201, the camming member 230 isnon-removably rotated within the opening 218 with an appropriate tool.Rotation of the camming member 230 causes the pin 234 to push theactuating member 240 rearwardly within the actuator arm 202 against thebiasing force of the spring 220. The rearward movement of the actuatingmember 240 results in the inner heads 224 of the retaining members 222being aligned with the neck portion 248 of the actuating member 240, asshown in FIG. 10B. The jaw 201 can then be moved axially relative to theactuator arm 202. If the ends 228 of the retaining members 222 areprotruding into the annular channel 260, the tapering nature of theannular channel 260 and the rounded nature of the ends 228 cause aradially inward force on the retaining members 222 such that theretaining members 222 move radially inwardly and into engagement withthe neck portion 248 and allow the jaw 201 to be removed from theactuating arm 202. Once the jaw 201 has been removed from the actuatorarm 202, the user can release the camming member 230, which can resultin the actuating member 240 staying in place or moving forwardly underthe influence of the spring 220.

To attach the jaw 201 to the actuating arm 202, the camming member 230is rotated, if needed, to move the actuating member 240 rearwardly intothe actuating arm 202, which allows the retaining members 222 to bemoved radially inwardly. The rounded nature of the ends 228 can allowthe jaw 201 to push the retaining members 222 radially inwardly whenpositioning the jaw 201 on the front portion 204 of the actuator arm202. Once the jaw 201 is securely positioned on the actuator arm 202,the camming member 230 can be rotated to move the quick-releasemechanism 200 to the engaged position, as shown in FIG. 10A. In someinstances, the movement of the quick-release mechanism 200 from thedisengaged to the engaged position may be done entirely as a result ofthe influence of the spring 220 once the camming member 230 is releasedfrom being held in the disengaged position.

Thus, the second quick-release mechanism 200 according to the disclosedembodiments can easily and quickly allow the jaws 201 to be attached toand removed from the actuator arms 202. It should be appreciated thatthe jaw 201 is shown as being a blank that can be machined to provide adesired gripping surface or features for retaining a workpiece therein.

Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, a third quick-release mechanism 300that allows quick and easy attachment/removal of a jaw 301 to/from anactuator arm 302 according to the disclosed embodiments is shown. In thethird quick-release mechanism 300, the middle and rear portions of theactuator arm 302 are substantially the same as the middle and rearportions of the actuator arm 46 discussed above. As such, the middle andrear portions are not shown nor discussed. A front portion 304 of theactuator arm 302, however, is different. The front portion 304 isgenerally cylindrical and includes a radially inwardly extending recess306 therein. A plurality of through openings 308 extends through therecess 306 into a central bore 310 of the front portion 304. A ringmember 312 is configured to fit around the front portion 304 within therecess 306. The ring member 312 includes a plurality of tapered openings314 that align with the openings 308 in the recess 306. A plurality ofretaining balls 316 is disposed in the central bore 310 and can extendradially outwardly through the openings 308, 314. Radial movement of theretaining balls 316 relative to the openings 308, 314 allows the jaw 301to be secured to and removed from the actuator arm 302, as describedbelow.

An actuating member 320 includes a camming portion 322 having aplurality of generally cylindrical surfaces 324 with a plurality oframps 326 disposed therebetween. The ramps 326 have a radial dimensionthat changes between adjacent cylindrical surfaces 324, as best seen inFIG. 12. A stem 328 extends forwardly from the camming portion 322 andincludes a head 330 that can be engaged with a tool to non-removablyrotate the actuating member 320 within the actuator arm 302 as describedbelow.

An end plate 332 is configured to attach to the end of the front portion304 to secure the actuating member 320 and the retaining balls 316within the central bore 310 and to retain the ring member 312 on thefront portion 304 of the actuator arm 302. The end plate 332 can besecured to the actuator arm 302 with a plurality of fasteners 334. Theend plate 332 includes a central bore 336 through which the head 330 andthe stem 328 of the actuating member 320 extend. A pair of tangs 338extends from the end plate 332 and is offset from the central axis ofthe central bore 336. The tangs 338 engage with complementary offsetrecesses at the end of a central bore 340 of the jaw 301 to blockrelative rotation between the actuator arm 302 and the jaw 301.

The central bore 340 of the jaw 301 includes a radially extendingannular channel 342. The annular channel 342 aligns with the openings308, 314 when the jaw 301 is positioned on the actuator arm 302.Non-removing rotation of the actuating member 320 relative to the jaw301 and the actuator arm 302 causes radial movement of the retainingballs 316 relative to the actuator arm 302 and the jaw 301 to allow thejaw 301 to be secured to and released from the actuator arm 302.

As shown in FIG. 12A, when the retaining balls 316 are engaged with theramps 326 of the actuating member 320, the retaining balls 316 do notextend into the annular channel 342. In this position, the jaw 301 canbe removed from or positioned on the actuator arm 302. To retain the jaw301 to the actuator arm 302, the actuating member 320 is rotatedrelative to the actuator arm 302 and the jaw 301. This relative rotationcauses the ramps 326 to push the retaining balls 316 radially outwardlythrough the openings 308, 314 and into the annular channel 342. Withsufficient rotation, the cylindrical surfaces 324 engage with theretaining balls 316 to provide the maximum radially outward position forthe retaining balls 316. In this position, the jaw 301 is axiallysecured to the actuator arm 302 by the retaining balls 316. The tangs338 block relative rotation between the jaw 301 and the actuator arm302.

To release the jaw 301, the actuating member 320 is rotated in theopposite direction so that the retaining balls 316 engage with the ramps326 and can move radially inwardly. The annular channel 342 can havesloped surfaces such that axial movement of the jaw 301 relative to theactuator arm 302 can exert a radially inward force on the retainingballs 316 to facilitate movement of the retaining balls 316 radiallyinwardly when releasing the jaw 301.

Thus, the third quick-release mechanism 300 according to the disclosedembodiments can easily and quickly allow the jaws 301 to be secured toand removed from the actuator arms 302. Again, it should be appreciatedthat the jaw 301 is shown as a blank and can be machined to provide thedesired gripping features for the jaw 301.

Referring now to FIG. 13, a cross-sectional view of another way toretain a jaw 400 to a front portion 402 of an actuator arm 403 is shown.Specifically, the front portion 402 includes a threaded central bore404. A single-threaded fastener 406 can be secured in the central bore404 to retain the jaw 400 on the front portion 402. The front portion402 can include a pair of tangs 408 that are eccentric relative to anaxial center of the central bore 404. The tangs 408 can engage withcomplementary recesses at an end of a bore 409 in the jaw 400 to blockrelative rotation between the jaw 400 and the actuator arm 403. Thus, ifdesired, the single-threaded fastener 406 can be used to retain the jaw400 to the actuator arm 403. It should be appreciated, however, that theuse of the single-threaded fastener 406 does not provide thequick-release capability described above with reference to thequick-release mechanisms 160, 200, and 300. Further, the single-threadedfastener 406 is removed to change the jaw 400.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the chuck 20having quick-release jaws 48. In this embodiment, jaws 48 may be securedto actuator arms 46 by spring-loaded lock pins 410. As discussed indetail below, the spring-loaded lock pins 410 may extend axially,radially, or a combination thereof, through the actuator arms 46 and/orjaws 48 to secure these components together. The spring force biases thepins 410 in a first direction into a locked position, whereas anopposite force in an opposite second direction compresses each spring tomove the pins 410 to an unlocked position. Thus, the spring-loaded pins410 enable a quick-locking mechanism and a quick-release mechanism forthe jaws 48 with the actuator arms 46. In certain embodiments, asdiscussed below, the spring-loaded lock pins 410 may extend angularlythrough the actuator arms 46 and jaws 48 between the locked and unlockedpositions.

As can be seen in FIG. 14, jaws 48 may be inserted into cavities 412within the actuator arms 46. In other words, the actuator arms 46 andthe jaws 48 are in a coaxial arrangement, wherein the actuator arms 46have a generally annular wall 413 disposed about the jaws 48 within thecavities 412. Thus, the outer diameter of the jaws 48 is less than theouter diameter of the actuator arms 46. This coaxial configuration withthe jaws 48 inside the actuator arms 46 may produce a lighter chuck 20than those described in the above embodiments. As will be discussed indetail below, each jaw 48 may be separated from the actuator arm 46 byinserting a jaw release tool 414 into the actuator arm 46 andcompressing the spring-loaded lock pin 410 away from a locked positionto an unlocked position. While FIG. 14 illustrates this removal processfor only one jaw 48, the same technique may be applied to the other jaws48.

FIG. 15 is a cross section of the fifth embodiment of the chuck 20 asshown in FIG. 14, illustrating the jaw release tool 414 compressing thespring-loaded lock pin 410. The jaw 48 has a workpiece holding portion416 and a shaft portion 418. As illustrated, the shaft portion 418 fitswithin the cavity 412 of the actuator arm 46. Once in the cavity 412,the jaw 48 may be held in place by the spring-loaded lock pin 410located within the shaft portion 418. In the illustrated embodiment, thespring-loaded lock pin 410 extends through the shaft portion 418 of thejaw 48 between a locked position and an unlocked position relative tothe annular wall 413 of the actuator arm 46. In particular, thespring-loaded lock pin 410 has a linear path of travel along an axis 415at an angle 417 relative to a central longitudinal axis 419 of theactuator arm 46 and the jaw 48. In certain embodiments, the angle 417may be greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees. For example, theangle 417 may range between about 0 to 90 degrees, 0 to 60 degrees, 0 to45 degrees, 0 to 30 degrees, or 0 to 15 degrees. By further example, theangle 417 may be about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, or 45 degrees, orany angle therebetween. As discussed further below, the spring-loadedlock pin 410 may interconnect the jaw 48 with the actuator arm 46 toblock axial movement of the jaw 48 along the axis 419, rotationalmovement of the jaw 48 about the axis 419, or a combination thereof. Thetool 414 may be used to create a counter force against the spring,thereby enabling movement of the spring-loaded lock pin 410 away fromthe locked position to the unlocked position.

FIG. 16 is a cross section of the jaw 48 and actuator arm 46 of thepresent embodiment. Similar to FIG. 15, this figure shows the shaftportion 418 inserted into the cavity 412 of the actuator arm 46. Theshaft portion 418 may have a tapered section 420 (e.g., conical) and astraight section 422 (e.g., cylindrical), which are configured to matewith a tapered interior surface 421 and a straight cylindrical interiorsurface 423 of the cavity 412. The tapered section 420 may serve toalign the jaw 48 with the actuator arm 46 such that the jaw 48 does notmove independently of the actuator arm 46. In other words, theengagement of the tapered section 420 of the jaw 48 with the taperedinterior surface 421 of the actuator arm 46 provides a tight fit (e.g.,a zero or nearly zero tolerance fit) while also self-aligning the jaw 48relative to the actuator arm 46. For example, the interface between thetapered section 420 and the surface 421 is generally conical and coaxialabout the axis 419, thereby causing the jaw 48 to gradually move towardthe axis 419 during insertion. Simultaneously, the generally conicalinterface eventually closes any gap or interference between the jaw 48and the actuator arm 46, such that the jaw 48 can be more securely heldwithin the cavity 412 of the actuator arm 46.

In contrast, if a straight shaft fits within a straight cavity, then thediameter of the shaft is less than the diameter of the cavity. Thedifference in diameter substantially reduces or eliminates thepossibility of locking, e.g., a condition where friction between theshaft and the cavity prevents the shaft from being inserted. By slightlyreducing the diameter of the shaft, it may pass freely into the cavity.Unfortunately, the smaller diameter may result in some movement of theshaft within the cavity. Thus, the tapered (e.g., conical) interfacebetween the tapered section 420 and the surface 421 substantiallyreduces or eliminates the possibility of movement of the jaw 48 relativeto the actuator arm 46 once held in place by the spring-loaded lock pin410.

In certain embodiments, the shaft portion 418 and the cavity 412 may betapered at an angle 425 to substantially reduce or eliminate thepossibility of shaft movement within a cavity. For example, the angle425 may range between about 1 to 30 degrees, 1 to 20 degrees, 1 to 15degrees, or 1 to 10 degrees. In certain embodiments, the angle 425 mayrange between about 5 to 10 degrees or at least greater than 7.5degrees. The angle 425 may be a locking angle or a non-locking angle. Anon-locking angle may be defined as an angle greater than approximately7.5 degrees, where a shaft may be inserted into a cavity ofsubstantially equal diameter without resistance. If the angle 425 oftaper is a non-locking angle, then the diameter of the tapered section420 of the shaft portion 418 and the tapered interior surface 421 of thecavity 412 may be substantially the same. In such an embodiment, theshaft portion 418 may not move within the cavity 412 because thediameters are substantially the same. In the present embodiment, theangle 425 of the tapered section 420 relative to the straight section422 may be approximately 8 degrees. In this configuration, the shaftportion 418 may be inserted into the cavity 412 having substantiallyequal diameter without resistance, while limiting jaw movement relativeto the actuator arm 46.

While the diameter of the tapered section 420 may be substantially thesame as the tapered interior surface 421, the diameter of the straightsection 422 may be slightly less than the straight cylindrical interiorsurface 423 to facilitate insertion. However, because the taperedsection 420 forms a tight fit with the tapered interior surface 421 ofthe cavity 412, the jaw 48 may not significantly move with respect tothe actuator arm 46 despite the smaller diameter of the straight section422. The straight section 422 may ensure that an operator removes thejaw 48 along the axis 419 of the cavity 412.

As mentioned above, the jaw 48 may be secured to the actuator arm 46 bythe spring-loaded lock pin 410. In the illustrated embodiment, the pin410 is spring-biased or spring-loaded within a passage 427 along theaxis 415 toward a locked position within a recess 424 in the annularwall 413 of the actuator arm 46. Upon extending into the recess 424, thespring-loaded lock pin 410 blocks axial movement of the jaw 48 along theaxis 419. In other words, the pin 410 retains the jaw 48 within thecavity 412 of the actuator arm 46 until an opposite force (e.g., viatool 414) biases the pin 410 away from the recess 424.

The angle 417 of the pin 410 relative to the shaft portion 418 may beany suitable angle as discussed above. For example, the angle 417 may bea non-locking angle of at least 7.5 degrees. If the angle 417 is anon-locking angle, then the spring-loaded lock pin 410 may move alongthe axis 415 in and out of the recess 424 without any gap between thepin 410 and the passage 427. In such an embodiment, the lock pin 410 mayhold the jaw 48 in place while minimizing any motion of the jaw 48relative to the actuator arm 46 due to the substantial reduction orelimination of an interference gap.

The spring-loaded lock pin 410 may include a head 426, a spring 428, anda dowel 430 disposed within the passage 427. The head 426 may bethreaded and serve to secure the pin 410 to the jaw 48 by screwing intoa tapped hole 429 within the passage 427 of the jaw 48. By inserting atool within a tool recess 432, the head 426 may be rotated to adjust itsdepth in the tapped hole 429 of the passage 427, thereby altering theposition of the pin 410 relative to the jaw 48. The spring 428 may becoupled to the head 426 to bias the dowel 430 into its locked positionin the recess 424. In certain embodiments, the depth of the head 426 maybe adjusted and secured in position during assembly. For example, themanufacturer may tack weld the head 426 in place such that an operatormay not vary head depth by rotating the head 426 via the tool recess432.

In the illustrated embodiment, the passage 427 containing thespring-loaded lock pin 410 leads to a tool opening or receptacle 434near the recess 424. The receptacle 434 and the recess 424 are locatedin a base region of the cavity 412. The receptacle 434 is angledrelative to the passage 427 and the axes 415 and 419. For example, thereceptacle 434 may have an angle 431 between the axis 415 of the passage427 and an axis 433 of the receptacle 434. The angle 431 may rangebetween about 0 to 90 degrees, 0 to 60 degrees, 0 to 45 degrees, 0 to 30degrees, or 0 to 15 degrees. For example, the angle 431 may be about 15,20, 25, 30, 35, 40, or 45 degrees, or any angle therebetween. Thereceptacle 434 enables insertion of the tool 414 to bias the pin 410away from the recess 424, thereby releasing the jaw 48 from the actuatorarm 46.

FIGS. 17 and 18 are cross-sectional views of an embodiment of the chuck20, illustrating the process of removing the jaw 48 from the actuatorarm 46. As can be seen in FIG. 17, the tool 414 may extend through thereceptacle 434 to engage the dowel 430 and compress the spring 428between the dowel 430 and the head 426. In particular, the tool 414 mayextend linearly and pivotally into the receptacle 434 and the passage427 as indicated by arrows 435. As the spring 428 compresses, the tool414 moves the dowel 430 away from the recess 424 toward the head 426, asindicated by arrow 437. Once the spring 428 has been sufficientlycompressed, the dowel 430 may no longer block movement of the jaw 48away from the actuator arm 46. As a result, withdrawal of the dowel 430out of the recess 424 enables movement and removal of the jaw 48 fromthe cavity 412 of the actuator arm 46.

FIG. 18 shows the jaw 48 separated from the actuator arm 46. As can beenseen from this figure, once the jaw 48 has been removed, thespring-loaded lock pin 410 may return to its original length. After thejaw 48 has been separated, the jaw release tool 414 may be removed fromthe receptacle 434. At this point, a different jaw 48 may be secured tothe actuator arm 46. Because of the rounded tip of the dowel 430 and theangle of the spring-loaded lock pin 410 relative to the shaft 418,inserting the jaw 48 into the actuator arm 46 may compress the spring428 and allow translation of the jaw 48. However, when the dowel 430reaches the recess 424, the spring 428 may uncompress, biasing the dowel430 into the recess 424. Once the dowel 430 is inside the recess 424,the jaw 48 may not be removed from the actuator arm 46 withoutcompressing the spring 428 with the jaw release tool 414.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the chuck 20,illustrating details of the recess 424 within the cavity 412 of theactuator arm 46. As can be seen in FIG. 19, the recess 424 may becontoured to fit the dimensions of the dowel 430. Furthermore, thisfigure illustrates that when the dowel 430 enters the recess 424, thecontact may ensure that the jaw 48 is secured to the actuator arm 46,and may not be removed without compressing the spring 428. In addition,because the recess 424 is contoured to fit the dowel 430, the jaw maynot rotate about the axis 419 of the shaft 418. In certain embodiments,the lock pin 410 may engage the recess 424 after axially inserting androtating the jaw 48 within the cavity 412 until the pin 410 aligns withthe recess 424. In other embodiments, the jaw 48 and actuator arm 46 mayinclude one or more alignment features or guides (e.g., a guide pin andslot) to guide the jaw 48 into the cavity 412 in alignment between thepin 410 and the recess 424.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the chuck 20having quick-release jaws 48. In this embodiment, jaws 48 may be securedto actuator arms 46 by quick-release couplings, which include wedge-lockcouplings 600. As discussed in detail below, the wedge-lock couplings600 may extend at least partially through the actuator arms 46 and/orjaws 48 to secure these components together via a wedge-fit. In otherwords, each wedge-lock coupling 600 is configured to gradually wedgebetween each actuator arm 46 and respective jaw 48 to block separation,while also providing a very rigid connection. For example, eachwedge-lock coupling 600 may include a path of travel between a releaseposition and a lock position, wherein the path of travel is oriented ata convergence angle relative to an interface (e.g., a tangent line to anannular interface) between the actuator arm 46 and the jaw 48. Inaddition, each wedge-lock coupling 600 may have a wedge-shaped portion,which may be described as two surfaces meeting in an acute wedge angle.The convergence angle and the wedge angle may be the same or differentfrom one another. These angles may range between approximately 5 to 85degrees, 20 to 70 degrees, or 30 to 60 degrees. In certain embodiments,the angles may be greater than 0 and less than approximately 20, 25, 30,35, 40, 45, or 50 degrees. For example, the angles may be approximately10 to 20 degrees, or about 15 degrees.

Each wedge-lock coupling 600 is also configured to enable quick releaseof the jaw 48 from its respective actuator 46. For example, thequick-release of the wedge-lock coupling 600 may enable quick swappingwith a different type, size, or configuration of a jaw 48. In certainembodiments, the wedge-lock coupling 600 may enable multiple mountingpositions of the jaw 48 on the actuator arm 46. These different mountingpositions may include different circumferential positions (e.g.,different rotational positions about an axis) of the jaw 48 relative tothe actuator arm 46. As illustrated in FIG. 20, each jaw 48 is mountedto its respective actuator arm 46 in an inwardly facing orientation,thereby enabling work holding of an exterior of a work piece 602. In thedisclosed embodiment, the wedge-lock coupling 600 enables a reversedmounting position of each jaw 48 on its respective actuator arm 46. Inother words, the jaw 48 may be mounted either in the illustratedinwardly facing orientation or a diametrically opposite outwardly facingorientation, thereby enabling the jaws 48 to hold an interior of a workpiece. The multiple mounting positions of the wedge-lock coupling 600are discussed in further detail below.

FIG. 21 is a partial perspective view of an embodiment of the chuck 20of FIG. 20, illustrating the actuator arm 46, the jaw 48, and the sixthquick-release mechanism (e.g., the wedge-lock coupling 600) explodedfrom one another. In the illustrated embodiment, the wedge-lock coupling600 includes a tool portion 604, a wedge portion 606, and a guide post608. As discussed in detail below, the tool portion 604 is rotatable tocause axial movement of the wedge portion 606 along a path of travelbetween a release position and a lock position, wherein a lockingdirection along the path of travel gradually wedges the wedge portion606 between the actuator arm 46 and the jaw 48. In addition, the toolportion 604 interacts with the guide post 608 to block axial movement ofthe tool portion 604 while enabling rotation of the tool portion 604 andaxial movement of the wedge portion 606. Again the wedge portion 606and/or the path of travel may have an angle between approximately 5 to85 degrees (e.g., 10 to 20 degrees) to create a wedge fit between theactuator arm 46 and the jaw 48.

The tool portion 604 includes a tool head 610 and a guide wheel 612. Thetool head 610 may include a variety of tool engageable protrusionsand/or recesses, such as a male hex head as illustrated in FIG. 21. Theguide wheel 612 includes an annular groove 614 disposed between oppositecircular discs 616. Thus, the guide wheel 612 has a generallycylindrical shape. In certain embodiments, each circular disc 616 hasincludes an O-ring seal to block contaminants. In addition, the toolportion 604 includes a first threaded portion 618, e.g., an internallythreaded bore inside the tool head 610 and/or the guide wheel 612.

The wedge portion 606 has a second threaded portion 620 (e.g., anexternally threaded shaft) coupled to a ram 622. The second threadedportion 620 is configured to mate with the first threaded portion 618 ofthe tool portion 604. The ram 622 includes a front end 624, a rear end626, a cylindrical side wall 628, and a tapered locking surface 630interrupting the cylindrical side wall 628. As illustrated, the taperedlocking surface 630 converges toward an axis 632 of the wedge portion606 in a forward direction from the rear end 626 to the front end 624.In certain embodiments, an angle 634 of this tapered locking surface 630may range between approximately 5 to 45 degrees, 5 to 30 degrees, or 10to 20 degrees (e.g., about 15 degrees). As further illustrated, thetapered locking surface 630 includes a plurality of teeth 636 elongatedin the forward direction along the axis 632, wherein each tooth has aV-shaped profile. However, any suitable number, profile, and arrangementof teeth 636 may be disposed along the tapered locking surface 630. Forexample, the tapered locking surface 630 may exclude the teeth 636, ormay include any number of teeth 636 from 1 to 10 or greater.

The guide post 608 includes a cylindrical shaft 638 having a tool head640 and a threaded portion 642 (e.g., external threads) on opposite endsof the shaft 638. As discussed in further detail below, the cylindricalshaft 638 extends along a portion of the annular groove 614 (i.e., alonga tangent line) to block axial movement of the tool portion 604.Together, the guide post 608 and the guide wheel 612 may be described asa guide 644. The guide post 608 and the guide wheel 612 cooperate withone another to simultaneously limit axial movement of the guide wheel612 (and thus the tool portion 604), while also enabling rotation of thetool portion 604 and enabling axial movement of the wedge portion 606.

In the illustrated embodiment, the jaw 48 includes features to supportthe wedge-lock coupling 600 along a path of travel between a releaseposition and a lock position, and the actuator arm 46 includes featuresto interface with the wedge-lock coupling 600 at the lock position tosecure the jaw 48 to the arm 46. As illustrated, the actuator arm 46includes a male connector or arm post 650 extending outwardly from abase flange 652 to a peripheral end 654. The arm post 650 has acylindrical side wall 656 that is interrupted by first and second flatside walls 658 and 660 on diametrically opposite sides of the post 650.In other words, the first and second flat side walls 658 and 660 arecircumferentially offset by approximately 180 degrees about an arm axis662 of the arm post 650. As illustrated, the first and second flat sidewalls 658 and 660 are parallel to one another, as well as the arm axis662. The first flat side wall 658 includes a first plurality of teeth664, and the second flat side wall 660 includes a second plurality ofteeth 666. As illustrated, the teeth 664 and 666 are elongated in adirection extending crosswise (e.g., perpendicular) to the arm axis 662,wherein each tooth has a V-shaped profile. However, any suitable number,profile, and arrangement of teeth 664 and 666 may be disposed along thefirst and second flat side walls 658 and 660. For example, the first andsecond flat side walls 658 and 660 may exclude the teeth 664 and 666, ormay include any number of teeth 664 and 666 from 1 to 10 or greater.

In certain embodiments, one or more guides may be provided to assistwith alignment between the actuator arm 46 and the jaw 48. For example,the illustrated arm post 650 includes a pair of diametrically oppositeguide pins 668 and 670 disposed on the peripheral end 654 in alignmentwith the first and second flat side walls 658 and 660. These guide pins668 and 670 are configured to mate with guide receptacles 676 and 678 inthe jaw 48.

The jaw 48 includes an arm bore 684 configured to mate with the arm post650 along an annular interface. The arm bore 684 extends into the jaw 48from a base 686 toward a top 688, wherein the arm bore 684 has acylindrical side wall 690 and a flat disc-shaped top 692. The guidereceptacles 676 and 678 are disposed in the flat disc-shaped top 692 infirst and second positions, which are diametrically opposite from oneanother relative to a bore axis 694. Thus, the diametrically oppositepositions of the guide pins 668 and 670 in the arm post 650 incombination with the diametrically opposite positions of the guidereceptacles 676 and 678 in the jaw 48 may facilitate proper positioningof the wedge-lock coupling 600 relative to the arm post 650. Forexample, the diametrically opposite positions may enable reversiblemounting of the jaw 48 to the actuator arm 46, while guiding the teeth636 of the wedge-lock coupling 600 to mate with either the teeth 664 orthe teeth 666 on the arm post 650.

The jaw 48 also includes a wedge-lock bore 696 (e.g., a cylindricalbore) extending at least partially through the jaw 48 from a first sidewall 698 toward a second side wall 700, wherein the wedge-lock bore 696intersects the arm bore 684 inside the jaw 48. As discussed below, thewedge-lock bore 696 supports the wedge-lock coupling 600, and enablesthe wedge portion 606 to move along a path of travel inside thewedge-lock bore 696 in response to rotation of the tool portion 604. Atthe intersection, the arm bore 684 and the wedge-lock bore 696 define aninterface opening 702 to enable the wedge-lock coupling 600 (e.g., wedgeportion 606) to interface with the arm post 650. In the illustratedembodiment, the wedge-lock bore 696 has an axis 704 oriented crosswiseto the bore axis 694 of the arm bore 684. For example, the axis 704 mayextend along a plane that is parallel to the base 686, while the boreaxis 694 extends perpendicular to the base 686. Furthermore, asdiscussed in further detail below, the axis 704 of the wedge-lock bore696 may be parallel or angled (e.g., a convergence angle) relative to atangent line of the arm bore 684. In other words, the axis 704 of thewedge-lock bore 696 may be angled (e.g., a convergence angle) relativeto the first flat side wall 658 or the second flat side wall 660 of thearm post 650. The convergence angle may range between 5 to 85 degrees,20 to 70 degrees, 30 to 60 degrees, 5 to 45 degrees, 5 to 30 degrees, or10 to 20 degrees.

The jaw 48 and the wedge-lock coupling 600 may include one or moreguides to facilitate movement of the wedge-lock coupling 600. Forexample, the wedge-lock bore 696 includes a guide receptacle 672configured to receive a guide pin 674, which may be secured partiallyinto the wedge-lock bore 696 to engage a guide slot 680 extendingaxially along the wedge portion 606. The engagement between the guidepin 674 and the guide slot 680 blocks rotation of the wedge portion 606,while enabling axial movement of the wedge portion 606 along thewedge-lock bore 696. In addition, the jaw 48 includes a guide post bore706 (e.g., a cylindrical bore) extending at least partially through thejaw 48 from the base 686 toward the top 688, wherein the guide post bore706 intersects the wedge-lock bore 696 inside the jaw 48. The guide postbore 706 includes a shaft bore 708, a threaded portion 710, and a headrecess 712. At the intersection, the guide post bore 706 and thewedge-lock bore 696 define an interface opening 714 to enable thewedge-lock coupling 600 (e.g., guide wheel 612) to interface with theguide post 608. Thus, the guide post 608 extends into the annular groove614 of the guide wheel 612 when installed into the guide post bore 706.In the illustrated embodiment, the guide post bore 706 has an axis 716oriented crosswise to the axis 704 of the wedge-lock bore 696. Forexample, the axis 716 may extend along a plane that is parallel to theannular groove 614 of the guide wheel 612, and thus perpendicular to theaxis 704.

FIG. 22 is a partial perspective view of an embodiment of the chuck 20of FIG. 20, illustrating the sixth quick-release mechanism (e.g., thewedge-lock coupling 600) installed in the jaw 48, and illustrating thejaw 48 exploded from the actuator arm 46. As illustrated, the toolportion 604 and the wedge portion 606 are disposed in a seriesarrangement along the axis 704 inside the wedge-lock bore 696, and arecoupled together via threaded engagement of the first and secondthreaded portions 618 and 620. The guide post 608 is disposed inside theguide post bore 706, such that a portion of the guide post 608 extendsthrough the interface opening 714 into the annular groove 614 of theguide wheel 612. Thus, the guide post 608 blocks axial movement of thetool portion 604 while enabling rotation of the tool portion 604. Asdiscussed in further detail below, a first rotational direction of thetool portion 604 causes the first threaded portion 618 of the toolportion 604 to advance relative to the second threaded portion 620 ofthe wedge portion 606, whereas a second rotational direction of the toolportion 604 causes the first threaded portion 618 of the tool portion604 to withdraw relative to the second threaded portion 620 of the wedgeportion 606. Thus, the wedge portion 606 may have a path of travel alongthe axis 704 between a release position (not shown) and a lock position(as shown), wherein the release position has the tapered locking surface630 and teeth 636 retracted axially away from the interface opening 702,and the lock position has the tapered locking surface 630 and teeth 636advanced axially into the interface opening 702. In the presentembodiment, the guide slot 680 of the wedge portion 606 engages theguide pin 674 during axial movement along the wedge-lock bore 696,thereby blocking rotation of the wedge portion 606. In other words, theguide pin 674 and the guide slot 680 enable only axial movement (withoutrotation) of the wedge portion 606 along the axis 704 between therelease position and the lock position.

FIG. 23 is a partial perspective view of an embodiment of the chuck 20of FIG. 20, illustrating the jaw 48 coupled to the actuator arm 46 viathe sixth quick-release mechanism (e.g., wedge-lock coupling 600). Asillustrated, the wedge-lock coupling 600 is disposed in a lock position,wherein the wedge portion 606 is wedge-fit between the jaw 48 and theactuator arm 46. As a user rotates the tool portion 604 in a firstrotational direction 720, the threaded engagement between the toolportion 604 and the wedge portion 606 causes the wedge portion 606 tomove in an inward axial direction 722 from a release position toward alock position as shown in FIG. 23, while the guide wheel 612 and theguide post 608 block axial movement of the tool portion 604. In theinward axial direction 722, the wedge portion 606 gradually engages thefirst flat side wall 658 due to the angle 634 of the tapered lockingsurface 630 and/or the convergence angle of the wedge-lock bore 696relative to the first flat side wall 658. As discussed above, theseangles may range between approximately 5 to 85 degrees, e.g.approximately 10 to 20 degrees. Thus, the wedge portion 606 graduallyincreases the forces between the jaw 48 and the actuator arm 46 as thewedge portion 606 continues to move in the inward axial direction 722.The wedge fit, due to the increased forces, substantially increases therigidity of the connection between the jaw 48 and the arm 46. Inaddition, the wedge portion 606 engages the teeth 636 with the firstplurality of teeth 664 on the first flat side wall 658 of the arm post650. As appreciated, the teeth 636, 664, and 666 are oriented crosswiseto the axis 662 of the arm post 650 and the axis 694 of the arm bore684. As a result, engagement of the teeth 636 and 666 blocks axialseparation of the jaw 48 from the actuator arm 46.

Likewise, as a user rotates the tool portion 604 in a second rotationaldirection 724, the threaded engagement between the tool portion 604 andthe wedge portion 606 causes the wedge portion 606 to move in an outwardaxial direction 726 from the lock position toward the release position,while the guide wheel 612 and the guide post 608 block axial movement ofthe tool portion 604. Thus, the interface between the guide wheel 612and the guide post 608 retains the tool portion 604 and the wedgeportion 606 inside the wedge-lock bore 696 over the path of travelbetween the release position and the lock position. After moving thewedge portion 606 to the release position, the user may remove the jaw48 from the actuator arm 46. After removal of the jaw 48, the user mayinstall a different jaw or reinstall the same jaw 48 in a reversedorientation. For example, the user may rotate the jaw 48 (e.g., 180degrees) and reinstall the jaw 48 onto the actuator arm 46, such thatthe wedge-lock coupling 600 mates with the second flat side wall 660 andthe second plurality of teeth 666. The reversed orientation of the jaw48 may be useful for holding an interior of a work piece rather than anexterior of a work piece.

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the chuck 20 ofFIG. 20, illustrating the wedge-lock coupling 600 disposed between thejaw 48 and the actuator arm 46 in a lock position. In the illustratedlock position, the wedge-lock coupling 600 is disposed radially betweenthe arm post 650 and the jaw 48, and the teeth 636 of the wedge portion606 are engaged with the first plurality of teeth 664 of the arm post650. As discussed above, the teeth 636, 664, and 666 are orientedcrosswise (e.g., perpendicular) to the axes 662 and 694, therebyblocking axial movement of the jaw 48 relative to the arm post 650. Upondisengaging the teeth 636 and 664, the jaw 48 may be removed from thearm post 650, and optionally reinstalled in a reverse orientation (e.g.,180 degrees about the axes 662 and 694). For example, the jaw 48 may bereinstalled with the teeth 636 of the wedge portion 606 engaged with thesecond plurality of teeth 666. During axial movement of the wedgeportion 606 between the lock position and the release position, theguide pin 674 moves axially along the guide slot 680 on the wedgeportion 606. Again, the engagement of the guide pin 674 with the guideslot 680 blocks rotation of the wedge portion 606, thereby enabling thethreaded engagement between the tool portion 604 and the wedge portion606 to cause axial movement of the wedge portion 606 relative to thetool portion 604.

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the chuck 20 ofFIG. 20, illustrating three sets of jaws 48, actuator arms 46, andwedge-lock couplings 600 in different states. In particular, thedifferent states include a release position of the wedge-lock coupling600 as indicated by a first gap state 730 (e.g., no gap) of the wedgeportion 606 relative to the tool portion 604, a transition position ofthe wedge-lock coupling 600 as indicated by a second gap state 732(e.g., partial gap) of the wedge portion 606 relative to the toolportion 604, and a lock position of the wedge-lock coupling 600 asindicated by a third gap state 734 (e.g., full gap) of the wedge portion606 relative to the tool portion 604. As illustrated by the threedifferent sets, the wedge portion 606 has an axial path of travelbetween the first gap state 730 and the third gap state 734, which isresponsive to rotation of the tool portion 604.

Again, as a user rotates the tool head 610, the guide wheel 612 rotatesthe annular groove 614 along the guide post 608 to block axial movementof the tool portion 604, while also allowing the first threaded portion618 of the tool portion 604 to rotate relative to the second toolportion 620 of the wedge portion 606. During this rotation, the guidepin 674 engages the guide slot 680 in the wedge portion 606 to blockrotational movement of the wedge portion 606, while also allowing axialmovement of the wedge portion 606. As a result, the first and secondthreaded portions 618 and 620 are able to advance or withdraw relativeto one another, thereby moving the wedge portion 606 in an axialdirection relative to the tool portion 604.

As illustrated, the wedge portion 606 moves along the axis 704 of thewedge-lock bore 696, which is oriented at a convergence angle 736relative to an interface 738 between the wedge portion 606 and the armpost 650. In the illustrated embodiment, the interface 738 residesbetween the first flat side wall 658 (including teeth 664) of the armpost 650 and the tapered locking surface 630 (including teeth 636) ofthe wedge portion 606. Thus, the tapered locking surface 630 and theaxis 704 both have the convergence angle 736, which facilitates a wedgefit between the jaw 48 and the actuator arm 46. As discussed above, theconvergence angle 736 may range between approximately 5 to 85 degrees,20 to 70 degrees, or 30 to 60 degrees. In certain embodiments, theconvergence angle 736 may be greater than 0 and less than approximately20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50 degrees. For example, the convergenceangle 736 may be approximately 10 to 20 degrees, or about 15 degrees.

In certain embodiments, one or more seals (e.g., O-rings) may bedisposed between the wedge-lock coupling 600 and the wedge-lock bore696. For example, each circular disc 616 of the guide wheel 612 mayinclude an O-ring seal to block contaminants from entering thewedge-lock bore 696. The O-ring seals may be fixed or rotationalrelative to the guide wheel 612. In one embodiment, the O-ring seals maybe fixed in an annular groove in the wedge-lock bore 696 in positionconcentric with the circular discs 616 of the guide wheel 612. Inanother embodiment, the O-ring seals may be fixed in annular grooves inthe circular discs 616 of the guide wheel 612, such that the O-ringseals rotate with the guide wheel 616 along the interior surface of thewedge-lock bore 696.

FIG. 26 is a partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a chuck 20having a seventh actuator arm assembly utilizing a seventh quick-releasemechanism with a wedge-lock coupling 750. In the illustrated embodiment,the wedge-lock coupling 750 includes a tool portion 752 and a wedgeportion 754. As discussed in detail below, the tool portion 752 isrotatable to cause axial movement of the wedge portion 754 along a pathof travel between a release position and a lock position, wherein alocking direction along the path of travel gradually wedges the wedgeportion 754 between the actuator arm 46 and the jaw 48. Again the wedgeportion 754 and/or the path of travel may have an angle betweenapproximately 5 to 85 degrees (e.g., 10 to 20 degrees) to create a wedgefit between the actuator arm 46 and the jaw 48.

In the illustrated embodiment, the tool portion 752 extends through thewedge portion 754, and is rotatable relative to the wedge portion 754.The tool portion 752 includes a shaft 756, a tool head 758, and a firstthreaded portion 760. The shaft 756 may be a cylindrical shaft withoutthreads, whereas the first threaded portion 760 may be a cylindricalshaft with threads. The tool head 758 may include an internal orexternal tool engageable feature, such as an internal hex recess or anexternal hex protrusion. In certain embodiments, the tool portion 752may include a seal, such as an O-ring seal, disposed about the shaft756. The seal blocks contaminants from passing through the wedge portion754.

The wedge portion 754 includes a front end 762, a rear end 764, acylindrical side wall 766, and a tapered locking surface 768interrupting the cylindrical side wall 766. As illustrated, the taperedlocking surface 768 converges toward an axis 770 of the wedge portion754 in a forward direction from the rear end 764 to the front end 762.In certain embodiments, an angle 772 of this tapered locking surface 768relative to the axis 770 may range between approximately 5 to 85, 5 to45 degrees, 5 to 30 degrees, or 10 to 20 degrees (e.g., about 15degrees). As further illustrated, the tapered locking surface 768includes a plurality of teeth 774 elongated in the forward directionalong the axis 770, wherein each tooth has a V-shaped profile. However,any suitable number, profile, and arrangement of teeth 774 may bedisposed along the tapered locking surface 768. For example, the taperedlocking surface 768 may exclude the teeth 774, or may include any numberof teeth 774 from 1 to 10 or greater.

In addition, the wedge portion 754 includes an interior bore 776 and arecess 778 between the rear end 764 and the front end 762. The interiorbore 776 supports the shaft 756 of the tool portion 752, while therecess 778 supports the tool head 758 of the tool portion 752. Asdiscussed above, a seal (e.g., an O-ring seal) may be disposed betweenthe shaft 756 and the interior bore 776 to block passage of contaminantsthrough the wedge portion 754, thereby protecting the first and secondthreaded portions 760 and 792. The wedge-lock coupling 750 also includesa retainer 780 (e.g., a C-shaped retainer clip) disposed in a groove 782(e.g., annular groove) of the recess 778. The retainer 780 blocks axialmovement of the tool portion 752 relative to the wedge portion 754,thereby holding these portions 752 and 754 in an assembly that isrotatable relative to one another. As illustrated, the tool head 758 isdisposed at the rear end 764 of the wedge portion 754, while the firstthreaded portion 760 protrudes outwardly from the front end 762 of thewedge portion 754.

The wedge-lock coupling 750 is disposed in a wedge-lock bore 784extending at least partially through the jaw 48, such that the bore 784intersects the arm bore 684 of the jaw 48. In certain embodiments, aseal (e.g., an O-ring seal) may be disposed between the wedge-lockcoupling 750 and the wedge-lock bore 784, thereby blocking contaminantsfrom reaching the interface between the wedge portion 754 (e.g., teeth774) and the arm post 650 (e.g., teeth 664). The illustrated bore 784includes a retainer 786 (e.g., a C-shaped retainer clip) disposed in agroove 788 (e.g., annular groove). The retainer 786 blocks axialmovement of the wedge-lock coupling 750, thereby holding the wedge-lockcoupling 750 in an assembly within the bore 784 of the jaw 48. Insidethe jaw 48, the wedge-lock bore 784 extends to a reduced bore 790 havinga second threaded portion 792 (e.g., internal threads). In theillustrated embodiment, the first threaded portion 760 of the toolportion 752 mates with the second threaded portion 792 of the reducedbore 790. Thus, upon rotation of the tool portion 752, the threadedengagement between first and second threaded portions 760 and 792enables axial movement of the wedge portion 754 along the axis 770 ofthe wedge-lock bore 784. As discussed below, the wedge portion 754includes an anti-rotation feature to enable axial movement and blockrotational movement of the wedge portion 754, as the user rotates thetool portion 752.

In the illustrated embodiment, the arm post 650 is similar to theembodiment of FIGS. 20-25, except that the arm post 650 excludes theguide pins 668 and 670, and the arm post 650 excludes the second flatside wall 660 with the second plurality of teeth 666. Thus, theillustrated arm post 650 does not allow reversible mounting of the jaw48. However, the arm post 650 includes the first flat side wall 658 withthe first plurality of teeth 664, such that the jaw 48 may be coupledwith the wedge-lock coupling 750. In certain embodiments, the jaw 48with the wedge-lock coupling 750 may be used with the arm post 650 ofFIGS. 20-25 to provide reversible mounting positions as discussed indetail above. Likewise, the jaw 48 with the wedge-lock coupling 600 ofFIGS. 20-25 may be used with the arm post 650 of FIG. 26 for mounting ina single orientation.

FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the chuck 20 ofFIG. 26, illustrating the wedge-lock coupling 750 disposed between thejaw 48 and the actuator arm 46 in a lock position. In the illustratedlock position, the wedge-lock coupling 750 is disposed radially betweenthe arm post 650 and the jaw 48, and the teeth 774 of the wedge portion754 are engaged with the teeth 664 of the arm post 650. As illustrated,the teeth 664 and 774 are oriented crosswise (e.g., perpendicular) tothe axes 662 and 694, thereby blocking axial movement of the jaw 48relative to the arm post 650. Upon disengaging the teeth 664 and 774,the jaw 48 may be removed from the arm post 650 and replaced with adifferent jaw.

In the illustrated embodiment, the wedge-lock coupling 750 includes anaxial guide feature between the wedge portion 754 and the wedge-lockbore 784. In particular, the wedge portion 754 includes an axial slot800, which mates with an axial protrusion 802 extending lengthwise alongthe wedge-lock bore 784. During axial movement of the wedge portion 754between the lock position and the release position, the axial slot 800moves axially along the axial protrusion 802 to block rotation of thewedge portion 754. The anti-rotation of the wedge portion 754 enablesproper alignment between the tapered locking surface 768 and teeth 774of the wedge portion 754, and the first flat side wall 658 and teeth 664of the arm post 650.

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the chuck 20 ofFIG. 26, illustrating three sets of jaws, actuator arms, and wedge-lockcouplings in different states. In particular, the different statesinclude a release position of the wedge-lock coupling 750 as indicatedby a first gap state 810 (e.g., no gap) of the wedge portion 754relative to the retainer 786, a transition position of the wedge-lockcoupling 750 as indicated by a second gap state 812 (e.g., partial gap)of the wedge portion 754 relative to the retainer 786, and a lockposition of the wedge-lock coupling 750 as indicated by a third gapstate 814 (e.g., full gap) of the wedge portion 754 relative to theretainer 786. As illustrated by the three different sets, the wedgeportion 754 has an axial path of travel between the first gap state 810and the third gap state 814, which is responsive to rotation of the toolportion 752. Again, as a user rotates the tool head 758, the first andsecond threaded portions 760 and 792 engage one another to impart axialmovement of the wedge portion 754. The wedge portion 754 is only able tomove in an axial direction (i.e., no rotation) due to the axial slot 800and the axial protrusion 802.

As illustrated, the wedge portion 754 moves along the axis 770 of thewedge-lock bore 784, which is oriented at the convergence angle 772relative to an interface 816 between the wedge portion 754 and the armpost 650. In the illustrated embodiment, the interface 816 residesbetween the first flat side wall 658 (including teeth 664) of the armpost 650 and the tapered locking surface 768 (including teeth 774) ofthe wedge portion 754. Thus, the tapered locking surface 768 and theaxis 770 both have the convergence angle 772, which facilitates a wedgefit between the jaw 48 and the actuator arm 46. As discussed above, theconvergence angle 772 may range between approximately 5 to 85 degrees,20 to 70 degrees, or 30 to 60 degrees. In certain embodiments, theconvergence angle 772 may be greater than 0 and less than approximately20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50 degrees. For example, the convergenceangle 772 may be approximately 10 to 20 degrees, or about 15 degrees.

FIG. 29 is a partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of awedge-lock coupling (e.g., 600, 750), illustrating teeth (e.g., 636,774) having an offset 820 to bias the jaw 48 inwardly toward theactuator arm 46, as indicated by arrow 822. For example, FIG. 29 maycorrespond to a small section of the embodiment shown in FIG. 24, or asmall section of the embodiment shown in FIG. 27. As illustrated, theteeth (e.g., 636, 774) engage one another on the inwardly facing side ofthe teeth as indicated by arrow 822, rather than an outwardly facingside of the teeth. As the wedge-lock couplings (e.g., 600, 750) aredriven into engagement with the actuator arm 46, the offset 820 causesthe teeth (e.g., 636, 774) to pull the jaw 48 gradually against theactuator arm 46, thereby increasing the axial retention force of the jaw48 against the actuator 46. Thus, the wedge-lock couplings (e.g., 600,750) provide both an increased axial retention force due to the offset820 between the teeth (e.g., 636, 774), and also an increasedradial/circumferential retention force due to the wedge fit of the wedgeportion (e.g., 606, 754) between the jaw 48 and the actuator arm 46.

In any of the foregoing embodiments, additional weight savings may beobtained by employing a hybrid chuck body. This type of chuck body mayhave a core and shell, where the core is made of a composite materialand the shell is made of metal. The combination of employing the presentembodiment with the hybrid chuck body may produce a weight savings ofapproximately 38% compared to prior chuck configurations. Lighter chucksmay consume less energy to accelerate, resulting in power savings andimproved motor longevity. In addition, lighter chucks may facilitate theuse of smaller motors to drive the chuck 20. These smaller motors mayreduce the cost of the machining apparatus, typically a lathe.

The quick-release mechanism and the unitary non-split upper bearing ofthe disclosed embodiments can be used together or separately in newchuck assemblies or can be used together or separately to retrofitexisting chuck assemblies not having these features. To facilitate this,kits can be sold to upgrade the existing chuck assemblies. Inparticular, as shown in FIG. 5, a retrofit kit 500 can include theactuator arm 46, the homing mechanism 120, the seal ring assembly 84,the front bearing assembly 80, the quick-release mechanism 160, and thejaw 48. The jaw 48 can be provided as a blank to be machined by thepurchaser for the particular workpiece to be held or can be pre-machinedin the desired configuration to hold a workpiece. Optionally, theretrofit kit 500 can include the end cap 70 and the spring 72. It shouldbe appreciated that the quick-release mechanism included in the retrofitkit 500 can be any of the quick-release mechanisms described herein.Furthermore, if desired, in lieu of a quick-release mechanism, theretrofit kit 500 can be configured to use a single-threaded fastener 406to retain a jaw to the associated actuator arm. Thus, the retrofit kit500 can be used to retrofit an existing chuck assembly to provide thebenefits of a unitary non-split upper bearing and/or a quick-releasemechanism and/or a single fastener attaching method.

The workholding chuck according to the disclosed embodiments is suitablefor use in a high-speed application. For example, the chuck according tothe disclosed embodiments can be used on a lathe or other machiningapparatus that rotates the chuck assembly at speeds in excess of 3,000RPM. It should be appreciated, however, that the chuck assembly can beused on lower-speed applications, although all the benefits of thedisclosed embodiments may not be realized. Additionally, it should beappreciated that the quick-release mechanisms and the non-split unitaryfront bearing of the disclosed embodiments can be used together orseparately. Additionally, the quick-release mechanisms and/or thenon-split unitary front bearing can be used with actuator arms that aredriven by other means than the actuator plate 30 disclosed herein. Forexample, the non-split unitary bearing and/or quick-release mechanism ofthe disclosed embodiments can be used on an actuator arm disposed in anequalizing chuck, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,699,entitled “Six Jaw Equalizing Chuck,” the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirely. Moreover, while thedisclosed embodiments have a chuck with three actuating arms and threejaws, it should be appreciated that more or less than three actuatorarms and/or jaws can be used. Thus, while the disclosed embodiments havebeen described with reference to particular illustrations and figures,it should be appreciated that changes can be made to that shown withoutdeviating from the present disclosure. Thus, the description is merelyexemplary in nature and variations are not to be regarded as a departurefrom the spirit and scope of the disclosed embodiments.

While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein, many modifications and changes will occur to thoseskilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appendedclaims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fallwithin the true spirit of the invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system, comprising: a drive; a chuckrotatable by the drive, wherein the chuck comprises: an actuator armcomprising a first plurality of teeth; a jaw; and a wedge-lock couplingbetween the actuator arm and the jaw, wherein the wedge-lock couplingcomprises: a wedge portion having a path of travel between a releaseposition and a lock position, wherein a locking direction along the pathof travel gradually wedges the wedge portion between the actuator armand the jaw; an axis along the path of travel, wherein the wedge portioncomprises a locking surface tapered relative to the axis; and a secondplurality of teeth disposed on the locking surface, wherein the firstand second plurality of teeth engage one another in the lock position.2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of teeth isdisposed at a first position on the actuator arm, the actuator armcomprises a third plurality of teeth disposed at a second position onthe actuator arm, the wedge-lock coupling mutually exclusively couplesthe second plurality of teeth to either the first plurality of teeth orthe third plurality of teeth, and the first and second positions are ondiametrically opposite sides of the actuator arm.
 3. The system of claim1, wherein the path of travel is oriented in a plane perpendicular to asecond axis of the actuator arm, and the path of travel in the lockingdirection converges toward a locking interface at a convergence angle ofapproximately 5 to 45 degrees.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein thewedge-lock coupling is disposed in a bore in the jaw, the wedge-lockcoupling is movable along the path of travel through the bore, and thewedge portion engages the actuator arm in the lock position.
 5. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of teeth is elongatedalong the locking direction.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein thewedge-lock coupling comprises a tool portion coupled to the wedgeportion, and the tool portion is rotatable to cause movement of thewedge portion along the path of travel.
 7. The system of claim 6,wherein the tool portion comprises a first threaded portion coupled to asecond threaded portion of the wedge portion, and the wedge-lockcoupling comprises a guide configured to enable rotation and block axialmovement of the tool portion.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein theguide comprises a wheel having an annular groove coaxial with the toolportion, the wheel is coupled to the tool portion, the guide comprises apost coupled to the jaw, and the post extends tangent to the annulargroove.
 9. The system of claim 6, wherein the tool portion comprises ashaft having a tool head and a first threaded portion disposed onopposite ends of the shaft, the shaft extends through an interior borein the wedge portion, and the first threaded portion is coupled to asecond threaded portion.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the wedgeportion comprises a guide configured to block rotation and enable axialmovement of the wedge portion along the path of travel.